Fruit-slicing machine.



/T". CRAWFORDy FRUIT SLICING MACHINE. I APPLICATION FILED NOV-- :3. I911.

- Patented Mar. 12, 1918-.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I TLCRAWI FORD. FRUIT SLICING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED. N.QV. l3, l9- 1,259,21 3.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2x porting pins 20 which THOMAS CRAWFORD, OF ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS CRAWFORD,

. INC., A. CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-SLICING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

Application filed November 18, 1917. Serial No. 201,857

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS CRAWFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anaheim, in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented a new and useful Fruit-Slicing Machine, of which the following is a specification.

In the manufacture of marmalades and jellies from fruit such as oranges, it is particularly desirable to cut the fruit into small particles in such a manner that a minimum amount of juice is liberated from the fruit during the cutting operation, and one of the principal objects of my invention is to produce a machine of simple form and construction for slicin oranges and similar fruits.

A further 0 ject of my invention is to produce a machine of the class described in which the fruit is cleanly cut into thin slices in such a manner that'a minimum amount of the juices are liberated from the fruit during the slicing operation.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter from the following description.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying a form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, the guard over the cutter being removed therefrom.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view partly in section of one end of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of part of the operation mechanism.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the comb, and

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of a part of the cutter.

The machine is preferably supported on a platform indicated at 11 to which the frame 12 of the machine is secured by means of suitable bolts 13. The frame consists referably of two side members 14 connected y means of a cross-bar 15 and having supported therebetween an inclined table 16. T he table 16 is inclined downwardly and inwardly toward the cutting device and is provided with an opening 18 extending therethrough in which/is pivotally mounted a gate 19, the gate being provided with supextend through the respective side members 14. The gate 19 is mounted on the arm 25 shaft provided with an upward extension or wall 21 which is arranged to intermittently feed the fruit to the cutting device as hereinafter more fully described.

I 22 designates a link having one end pivotally connected at 23 to the gate 19 and the other end pivotally connected at 24 to an arm 25, the arm 25 being pivotally mounted on a pin 26 supported'in suitable brackets 27 on the platform 11. 30 designates a roller which is adapted to be engaged by a cam 31 mounted on a 32 journaled on the frame 12. The shaft 32 is provided with a sprocket Wheel 33 driven by means of a sprocket chain 34 from a sprocket wheel 35 mounted on a shaft 36, the shaft 36 being provided with driving pulley 37 adapted to be driven from any suitable power source, not shown. The roller 30 on the arm 25 is kept in engagement with-the cam 31 by means of a coiled shaft 48. The comb consists of a series of teeth 50 spaced apart by plates 51, the teeth and plates being secured together by means of suitable rods 52. The comb is mounted in the machine so that when the comb is in its extreme forward position the inner edges of the plates 51 are substantially parallel with the inner face of the cutting board 45. Certain of the teeth 50 extend rearwardly from the comb proper as indicated at 54 in which are mounted pins 55 which are pivotally engaged by means of arms 56, such arms being mounted to swing upon the shaft 41.

58 designates a link, the forward end of which is pivotally connected by means of a pin 59 to one of the arms 56, the other end of the link 58 being pivotally connected by means of a pin 60 to a lever 61, the lever 61 being pivotally mounted on a pin 62 mounted. in suitable brackets 63 on the platform 11. Mounted on the upper end of the lever 61 is 'a roller 64 which extends into the a I I 1,2oe,21s

groove of an internal cam 66, such cam dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. As

being mounted upon a. shaft 32 which is the fruit falls upon the comb the blades addriven as heretofore described. 7 0-70 desvance into the full line position shown in ignate rollers mounted on the comb which Fi 1 through the medium of the rods 84 engage the respective side members 14 to which are'operated by means of the wrist permit a free movement of the comb thereplates 86 as heretofore described, the cutbetween. ting disks at the same time rotating in the 72 designates an oscillatin frame mountdirection of the arrow shown upon the disk ed upon a shaft 73 journa ed in suitable in Fig. 1.

bearings 74 secured to the platform 11. The This forward movement of the disks or 5 oscillating frame 72 is provided with two blades cuts the fruit into a series of very upwardly extending arms 75 to the upper thin slices and as the cutting operation is end ofeach of which is secured by means substantially completed the comb 46 moves of a suitable bolt 76 a journal member 77 rearwardly into the dotted line position 5 in which is mounted a shaft 78. Mounted shown in Fig. 1 as the cutting disks move so onthe shaft 17 is a series of disk knives 79 away from the cutting board. The movespaced apart by means of collars 80 and ment of the comb tends to turn the fruit held in place upon the shaft by means of on the comb during such rearward movesuitable nuts 81. The shaft 78 together ment so that should any part of the fruit :0 with the knives thereon is oscillated back adjacent .to the cutting board be uncut such 5 and forth by means of two arms 84, the forturning movement of the fruit brings the ward ends of which engage the shaft 78 and uncut portion into contact with the cutting the rear ends of which are connected by disks as they move away from the cutting pins to wrist plates 86, such wrist plates board thereby insuring that all of'the fruit 25 being secured to the shaft 32. The shaft is cut entirely through. 78 is rotated through the medium of a The sliced fruit, when the support of the sprocket wheel 87 secured thereon, which comb 46 has been removed, falls into the sprocket wheel is driven by means of a chain hopper 102 and in the event that any of the 88 from a sprocket wheel 89 on the shaft fruit remains between the cutter blades, the

so 73. The shaft 73 is driven by means of a stripper 96 strips such fruit from between sprocket wheel 90 secured thereto which in the blades causing the same to fall into the turn is driven by a sprocketchain 91 from discharge hopper. After the. fruit on the a sprocket wheel 92 on the shaft 36. comb has been discharged into the hopper Mounted between the cross-bar '15 and a 102 the gate is operated as heretofore de- 35 cross-bar 95 is a stripper 96 which consists scribed to deliver another row of fruit to 100 of a series of vertically arranged blades 97, the comb and the operation repeated as there being one blade between each pair of above described.

cutting disks 79. 100 designates a guard By the use of the machine above described, or cover for the cutter, the same being sefruit, such as oranges, is cut quickly and 40 cured in any suitable manner to the crosscleanly into a number of very thin slices in bars 15 and 95, the guard inclosing the 'cutwhich condition the fruit may be readily ting mechanism as clearly shown in Figs. cooked and prepared for the manufacture 1 and 3. 102 designates a hopper through of marmalades, jellies and similar products. which the sliced material may be delivered It is understood that while I have particu- 45 from the machine to any suitable receptacle larly described my invention as being apnot shown. plicable to the cutting of oranges that the The machine operates in the following same may be used for cutting other edibles, manner: that is other kinds of fruit and vegetables.

The fruit, in the present case indicated What I claim is:

50 as oranges 105, is placed upon the table 16 1. A fruit slicing machine comprising a and rolls downwardly thereover against the table, a vertically arranged cutting board, 4 wall 21 of the gate 19, that is the gate being forming a continuation of the lower end of in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. said table, means for supporting the fruit As the gate is swung or tilted into the full against the cutting board, a series of rota- 55 line position shown in Fig. 1 through the table knives movable through the fruit, a medium of the link 22 and the arm 25, a stripper arranged to remove the fruit from row of fruit falls upon the gate as indithe knives, and a gate mounted in said table cated at 106 in Fig. 1 where it is held from for intermittently feeding the fruit from the further downward movement by the lower table to the cutting board.

a 60 raised edge of the gate. The gate is then 2.'A fruit slicing machine comprising .a

returned to the dotted line position, when table, a cutting board, means for supporting the row of fruit on the gate is delivered the fruit against the cutting board, a series over the upper edges of the cutting board of rotatable knives movable through the 45 to the comb 46 at which time the cutter. fruit, a stripper arranged to remove the 65 blades on the oscillating frame 72 are in the fruit from the knives, and means for interaway mittently feeding the fruit from the table to the cuttin board,-said. last named means consisting o a pivoted gate, a Wall formed on' the gate and means for moving the gate to receive a row of fruit thereon.

3. A fruit slicing machine comprising an inclined table, a cutting board, a movable comb for supporting the fruit against the board, means for feeding fruit from the table to the comb, and a cutter for slicing the fruit on the comb, said cutter comprising a series of knives, and means for moving the knives to cause theknives to enter the comb. v

4. A fruit slicing machine comprising a table, a comb, means for intermittently feeding fruit from the table to the comb, an oscillatin frame, a shaft rotatably mounted on the rame, a series of disk cutters mounted on the shaft, and means for moving said frame to cause the cutters to enter the comb and cut the fruit thereon.

5. A fruit slicing machine comprising a table, a comb, means for intermittently feeding fruit from the table to the comb, an oscillating frame, a shaft rotatably mounted on the frame, a series of disk cutters mounted on the shaft, means for oscillating the frame to enter the comb and cut the fruit thereon, and means for moving the comb from the cutters as the cutters move away from the comb.

6. A fruit slicing machine comprising a table, a comb, means for intermittently feed-' in fruit from the table to the comb, an oscil at n frame, a shaft rotatably mounted on the rame, a series of disk cutters mounted on the shaft, means for moving said frame to cause the cutters to enter the comb and cut the fruit thereon, and a series of stationary bars between the cutters arranged to strip the fruit therefrom.

7. A fruit slicing machine comprising an inclined table having an opening therein at its lower end, a cutting board at the lower edge of the table, a comb slidabl mounted under the cutting board, a pivota 1y mounted gate in said opening in the table, means for operating the ate to intermittentl feed fruit from the ta Is to the comb, an oscillating frame, a shaft carried on said frame, a series of cutter disks mounted on said shaft, means for operating said frame to cause the cutter disks to enter the comb and slice the fruit thereon, means for retracting the comb after the cutting operation, and a stripper for said disks consisting of a series of stationary strips arranged between the cutter disks.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Anaheim California, this 7th day of November, 191

THOMAS CRAWFORD. 

